Motor vehicle



April 8 1924.` 1,489,383

H. D. CHURCH MOTOR VEHICLE Filed Jan. 25, 1919 Q "1 L'j Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES HAROLD D. CHURCH', OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A.

ASSIGNOR T PACKARD MOTOR CAR CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

Application led January 25, 19,19. Serial Il'o. 273,030.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, HAROLD D. CHURCH, a citizen of the United States, and resldent of Detroit, Wayne County, State of Michian, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Motor Vehicles, of whlch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to motor vehicles, and particularly to improvements inthe steering knuckles thereof.

@ne object of the invention is to provide a thrust plate for the pivot pin adapted to take up the downward thrust thereof and at the same time provide means to enable the passage ot oil from the interior of the pin to the outside bearing surface thereof.

Another object of the invention is to rovide an oil retaining member adapte to receive the pivot pin and thrust late and ada ted also to co-operate with ot er arts of t e structure of the knuckle in. e ectually retaining the oil and excludlng dirt from the bearing surface of said pin.

Another object of the invention is to rovide means to provide a feed of a limited quantity of oil in drops to the pivot pin and its bearings.

With these and other objects in view, the invention is embodied in preferable form in the construction and arrangement hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

F1 1 is a vertical sectional view, artly in side elevation, of a steering knuck e embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, is an axle, 11 a spindle of a motor vehicle, and 12 is a steering lever. rl`he spindle has an integral upper annular knuckle member 13 which is in one piece with the steering lever 12, and which surrounds the pivot pin. Said spindle is also provided with a lower annular one-piece knuckle member 1t to which is adapted to be detachably connected an arm 15 of a steering connecting rod or tube. The axle terminates in an annular eye or socket which constitutes another knuckle member section 16 and which has a tapered seat to receive a tapered portion 17 of a pivot pin, the lower cylindrical portion 18 of which pin. extends down into the lower knuckle member 14 of the spindle. y

Adapted to be threaded into said lower knuckle member 14 and to 1s an oil retainin or head 20 exten ing over the base of the knuckle member section 14 and between which head and said base are placed shims 21. Between the said head of the cup and the lower end of the pivot in is placed a floating thrust plate 22 w ich is spaced peripherally from the wall of the cup 19 by means of an annular groove 23 formed in saidcup.

Oil passageways 24 are also formed through said thrust plate and communicate with a central Y passageway 25v extending through thepivot pln 17 longitudinally thereof from end to end of the same.

Between the upper end of the cylindrical retaining cup 19 and the hollow knuckle section 16 of the axle is mounted a felt packing 26, the principal object of which is to exclude dust and dirt from the bearing around the pivot pin but which also serves to retain the oil against escape from said space or bearing.

The upper section of the pivot in is cylindrical in form and extends within the knuckle member section 13 of the spindle and is surrounded by bushing 2'? and a sleeve 28 having a flange 29 extending under the lower surface of the knuckle section 13.

Engaging the bore of the knuckle section 13 at its upper end is a hollow ca 30 which provides an oil receiving cham er within which is seated the hollow head 31 of the pivot pin, which head is in the form of a nut of any suitable form. This nut has a ridge or wall 32 and directly above this ridge projects the lower end of a small wire or rod 33 which constitutes a dropper for the oil and which extends up into a small reservoir 34 mounted in the cap. As the oil is fed down along this dropper and falls therefrom upon the nut it will be divided by the wall, part of the oil going on the outside of the nut so as to pass against the outside surface oi the pin and the remaining quantity going to the interior of the in.

The parts of the knuckle are adapted to be separated by unscrewing the oil retaining cup member 19.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A steering knuckle having a hollow pivot pin, a knuckle member, anoil retain surround the pin cup 19 having a flange ing cup in said member within which said pin is mounted' and a flo-ating thrust plate etween the end of said pin and the bottom of said cup, said thrust plate having means communicating with the hollow portion of said pivot pin for conducting oil to the under surface of said thrust plate.

2. A steering knuckle having a hollow pivot pin, a knuckle member, an oil retaining cup detachably carried by said member and within which said lpin is mounted and a thrust plate disposed between the end of said pivot pin and the bottom of said cup,-

and having passages communicating with the pivot pin, said cup being provided with an annular recess surrounding the periphery the passage of oil.

- In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HAROLD D. CHURCH. 

